Island



(No Model.)

E. STEARNS.

GARMENT MEASURING DEVIOE AND CUTTING GUIDE.

No. 405,614. Patented June 18, 1889.

WITNEEEEEI INS/INTER. wmM 5&2, MW

1 Ozz /1 r4. PETERS, Piwwumc her, Washington D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELVIRA STEARNS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ELIZABETH A. SAYLES, OF SAME PLACE.

GARMENT-MEASURING DEVICE AND CUTTING-GUIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,614, dated June 18, 1889.

Application filed May 22,1888. Serial No. 274,698- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: tions at are provided with seams cut extend- Be it known that I, ELVIRA STEARNS, reing through parts of the section. For the pursiding at Providence, in the county of Provipose of clearly illustrating this feature the dence and State of Rhode Island, have inmarginal edges of the sections 4 are num- 5 Vented certain new and useful Improvements bered 5 and the fittingseams in the sections 5 5 in a Garment-Measuring Device and Cuttingare numbered 6.

Guide, of which the following is a full, clear, The number 7 indicates the adj Listingand exact description, reference being had to straps. One end of each of these straps is the accompanying drawings, forming part of permanently secured at one edge of the sec- IO this specification. tions 4, as well as at one edge of the fitting- My invention relates to the class of garment scams 6 in the sections, and on the opposite measuring and fitting devices composed of edges a buckle, button,or other fastening deseparable sections or pieces, with means for vice is secured. The holes in the straps may uniting the sections, which, after the neasbe numbered, so that in fitting a memo- 15 urements of the person are taken, are separanduni may be made of these numbers, and rated and laid out fiat upon the fabric from in cutting the indicated holes will show the which the lining of the garment is to be out, deviations from the pattern. Along the edges and the lining then cut from the reading of the sections and along the fitting-seams taken at the time of measurement or the adthe flexible wires 8 are secured, for the pur- 2o justment of the device. pose of increasing the rigidity of the edges The object of my invention is to produce a and forming better guides for cutting. simple garment fitting devicewhich will give The device can be constructed to be used the proper fit of every seam and dart, and for measuring and cutting all kinds of garfrom which the lining can be readily cut and ments. It is made of durable material. The

25 a perfect fit secured, without the annoyance sections are shaped to snugly fit a reasonably and delay incidental to the trying on and reperfect form of the smallest size of the perfitting of garments cut by other methods. sons to be measured when the edges are in My invention consists in the peculiar and contact. Any deviation from this normal novel construction of the garment-measuring size is indicated by the holes on the adjust- 3o device and cutting-guide, as will be more fully ing-straps. In practice several sizes of these set forth hereinafter. measuring and cutting forms are used, so that In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is the deviations from the sections is slight, and a view of my improved garment-measuring varies most at such places where the form of device and cuttiugguide adapted for measurthe person to be fitted is abnormally de- 3 5 ing and cutting the waists of womens dresses. vcloped.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part of the de- The operation of the device is as follows: vice shown in Fig. 1, showing the adjusting- All the parts or sections of the device are strap and a buckle, also the edge-wires. fastened together in their relative positions In the drawings similar numbers of referby means of the fastening devices and the ad- 40 once designate corresponding parts throughjusting-straps, the fastening devices being out. entered in the first holes of the adjusting- Referring to the drawings, the number 4 straps, excepting one of the shoulder-seams indicates sections of material which is suffiand one of the side seams, which are left open. ciently flexible to readily yield to the form, The person to be fitted now passes one arm 45 and is non elastic, so that when laid fiat it through the closed armhole, and the operator will form a cutting-guide These sections 4 begins to take up the looseness of the fitting are made of such forms that their edges will device with the straps on the open shoulderbe on the lines on which, in the kind of garseam, and having finished with the shoulderment to be fitted and out, the seams are most seam begins on the side seam and takes up 50 advantageously located, and some of the secall the looseness with the adjusting straps IOO until all are fastened. For the sake of convenient illustration we will say that to fit the person to whom the device is being adjusted the straps on the open shoulder and side seams could only be taken up to the third hole, it would therefore be apparent to the operator that to bring the central lines of the front and back of the garment-fitting device into proper position the originally closed shoulder and side sean1sbeing the ones in which the fastening devices are entered in the first holes of the adj usting-straps-should be let out one hole of each of the ad justingstraps, and the shoulder and side seams which were originally unfastened when the garment-fitting device was put on and the fastening devices of which are now entered in the third holes of the adjustingstraps, are to be taken up one hole on each strap, or, in other words, the two holes of difference between the corresponding shoulder and side seams should be equally divided between the said seams. To again explain the operation, should it be necessary to e11- large the device, the adjusting-straps on any of the seams should not be let out an unequal number-of holes on the corresponding seams, as .that would throw the central line of the back of-the device oif from the central of the back of the person being fitted; but the space on the adjusting-straps to take up or to let out should be equally divided between the similarseams.

It is apparent that any or all of the seams may be let outor taken up, more or less, by means of the adjusting-straps'to obtain the desired fit, corresponding seams being let out or taken up corresponding distances, and when the adj Listing-straps are marked a record may be kept of the seam andthe holes on the straps into which the fastening devices are entered, so that after the device has been fitted, and when the operator is using the device for cutting out the lining or garment, all that will be necessary will be to refer to the record to see on which line to cut the goods. Sufficient allowance must be made forseams beyond the lines of adjustment when cutting a pattern or garment from the device. It is also apparent that the seams forming the darts may be opened more or less, as may be necessary. This same method may be adopted for the measuring and fitting of mens, youths, and childrens garments of any kind, the sections or parts of the fitting device being made to follow the general outline of the sections of the garment to be fitted, and provided with adjusting-straps and fastening devices to be used in the same manner and for the same purpose as herein shown and described for a ladys tight-fitting garment. It is obvious that any loose-fitting garment may also be cut from-the same method of measuring and ad j ustment.

Having thus described my i11vention,.-I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A garment measuring and cutting device consisting of sections of inelastic material, the edges of each section strengthened by flexible wires secured to the edges-of the inelastic material, and provided with adj listingstraps constructed to form an accurately-fitting garment when secured, and accurate patterns and guides for cutting the material when the sections are separated, as described.

ELVIRA STEARNS. W'itnesses:

J. A. MILLER, J12, M. F. BLIGH. 

